Remains of the Day: The iPad is on fire

The iPad 2 is selling so quick, you can’t even get a paper mock-up. Elsewhere, Asus and Toyota get smacked down for bad decisions in marketing, and Apple makes a move to cut down on conflict. It’s the remainders for Tuesday, April 5, 2011—peace out!

Much as we here in the U.S. may complain about how tough it is to find an iPad 2, in Malaysia folks are even having trouble finding replica paper versions of Apple’s latest tablet. They’ve apparently become the latest thing in burnt offerings for the dead, intended to provide them with luxury items in the afterlife. And here I was hoping I’d actually be able to escape technology in the next world.

Apparently, Best Buy has pulled an in-store banner for Asus’s forthcoming Eee Pad Transformer tablet that took a shot at the iPad. The ad pictured the Transformer, which features a dockable keyboard and extra battery, next to an iPad clumsily duct-taped to a keyboard, along with the tagline “Like that. But better.” To be fair, the ad’s original copy—”Like that. But more expensive, uglier, and with fewer apps.”—wouldn’t fit.

Speaking of bad advertising choices, Toyota has apparently removed a replacement interface skin for jailbroken iPhones that it had released via the Cydia store. The skin, which was intended advertise Toyota’s new 2011 Scion tC, was reportedly removed at Apple’s behest, though we think Cupertino might have been less insulted that Toyota tacitly condoned jailbreaking than the fact that the skin is abominably tacky.

Apple and Intel have started enforcing new rules that would see the halt of mineral sales from African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo in the hopes of preventing the proceeds from being used to fund conflict in the region. It’s perhaps a small step, but hopefully a worthy one—at least more so than complaining about jailbroken apps.

Product News:

EyeTV 1.2.3 - Version 1.2.3 of Elgato's TV streaming app has added AirPlay support, allowing it to send live and recorded TV from your iOS device to an Apple TV, and fixed audio transitions when changing channels. $5.